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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · bore · prune · pit · row · ruler · board · race

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. row — a line
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. row — to paddle
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bore — to drill
  12. race — humankind
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. ground — a position
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. prune — to trim
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. pit — a hole
  24. race — a contest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com